Canon PowerShot A720IS 8MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

This is the first top notch camera I have ever purchased. IT is easy to use and easy to read the instructions. My purchase through Amazon was very easy and quick, plus the cost was the best. It took 4 days to get my camera and then I was sooo excited. I took it to Yosemite this weekend and took over 400 pictures. I think the screen is very easy to see. And I have rechargeable batteries, which last about 100 pictures. I also purchased a SDHC 4MB memory card which will hold over 1700 pictures. I would buy this camera again. I am very happy!!!

The camera is super! Its light weight and take-it-anywhere-you-go thing. Im taking it with me every weekend when I go out and the pictures it creates are cool and satisfying. Has quite many functions that lets you make a lot of fun. Strongly recommend if you want a camera to take high quality pictures with reasonable price (when on sale) and comfortable to use. Love my Canon.

This is my first digital camera, so I had no idea which of the hundreds to buy. Consumer Reports listed this model as its "Best Buy" and that's why I purchased it. I am very happy with the quality of pictures, which are much sharper than I was getting with my 35mm film camera and I find it very easy to use, even for a digital beginner. The instruction book was a pleasant surprise as it was actually written by a native English speaker and was very step by step and easy to follow.
My computer would not accept the CD that came with the camera, and regardless of the dire warnings that you "must" download the CD before copying pictures from the camera to the computer, I took a chance and connected the camera to the computer and the pictures went to "My Pictures" in the computer without a hitch.
I seem to be getting about 50 shots, many with flash, with 2 AA batteries.

I have now had this camera for over 4 months. I use it primarily for nature photography. It is outstanding for so many reasons. My fellow photographers are so jealous that I can get within 1 cm for macro photography. I like that it has AA batteries; easily rechargeable. It's my first digital so I like that I can adjust the aperture and shutterspeed. I LOVE that I can underexpose and see it through the LCD. I often underexpose by a third of a stop for more contrast. For motion photography, I can see throught the view finder and accurately get the subject (Thunderbird planes!). The flash is quite weak but you can buy one as an accessory. You can also buy an accessory lens and even waterproofing to do underwater photography! I also like that with the digital and optimal zoom I can zoom in 24X Wow! That has helped a lot too! I feel I don't need to go to the DSLR because I get outstanding pictures with this. Well worth the price!

I got this camera for Christmas. It is great for most types of photos. Consumer Reports recently listed this camera as a "best buy". Its predecessor, the A710, had also been a best buy. Canon seems to update their cameras every year, so my guess is that this camera's successor is due to be released within the next few months.

If you just want a point-and-shoot that does all the work for you, then keep this camera in "auto" mode and forget about all the other settings. If you are an experienced SLR photographer, go ahead and put it in manual mode for a near-SLR experience.

I have noticed that the lens does tend to slightly, but noticeably, curve straight vertical lines. Also, as with most point-and-shoot cameras, while the LCD screen is WYSIWYG, the viewfinder is not--especially when zoomed in.

Remember that for ALL auto-focus cameras, you should press the shutter button down half way so the camera can focus on the subject. Then press the shutter button down all the way to take the shot. This is no different than other point-and-shoot digital cameras.

One reviewer complained about getting blurry photos with this camera. I have not had any problems with blurry photos. If you have a broadband Internet connection, I have posted 433 photos online that I took with this camera during a recent vacation to Japan. As you will see, there are no blurry photos. To see the quality of the pictures that this camera takes, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/jparsons.net/

Recommended supplies: I bought the Tamrac 5290 Camera Bag for it, which holds the camera snugly and does a good job of protecting it from rain. If you would like to improve your photography skills, I recommend the book Understanding Exposure.